Awards and privileges for green-cars owners

Along with the last Government’s proposal, eco-friendly cars will be “awarded” with green number plates, in order to encourage drivers to buy low-emission vehicles. Ministers want to give special registration plates to cars, vans and taxis which conform to high environmental standards: they will be allowed to use bus lanes. Discussion has begun last Sunday and it could lead to the establishment of a UK scheme within five years.

Other successful examples of this strategy could be found in Norway, Canada and China. According to the ministers, it would be a “badge of honour” which could offer to drivers some privilege like the use of priority lanes, ultra-low-emissions zones and charging bays. Now Government is thinking to the shape of this badge: it could be an entirely green number plates or only a green symbol. The so-called “Nudge Unit” (the Cabinet Office’s Behavioural Insights Team) is working on the project and they said that in this way the idea of clean vehicles could be “normalized”. Since the visual difference between polluting and less polluting vehicles is no more distinguishable, motoring groups agree with the idea which could be a useful way to diversify cars.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: «The UK has a proud history of leading the world in technological advances and that is no different for ultra-low emission vehicles, where we are at the forefront of innovation and testing. This new cleaner, greener transport - Grayling explained - has the potential to bring with it cleaner air, a better environment and stronger economies for countries around the world». According to the Government member, «adding a green badge of honour to these new clean vehicles is a brilliant way of helping increase awareness of their growing popularity in the UK and might just encourage people to think about how one could fit into their own travel routine».

The announcement comes in a special period for the UK, which is preparing to host the world's first zero emission vehicle summit. Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: «Potential EV (electric vehicles) owners might welcome this as a subtle way of showing that they are joining a small but fast-growing club - there are now at least 168,000 cars on the road that have been bought with the government's plug-in grant scheme and numbers are rising steadily».